Files People Computer Disposing Digital Information Trash Folder

When people want to "dispose of" (get rid of) "digital" (electronic; stored in a computer) information, they often simply "delete" the file from their computer, but this is not a "permanent" (lasting forever) solution, as it is very easy to "retrieve" (get back; have access to something again) those files from the "trash" folder on the computer. Even deleting those files from the "trash" folder may not be enough, because many computers create "temp" (temporary; intended to last for only a short period of time) folders and/or have "automatic backups" (scheduled times when a computer makes copies of files and stores them in another place) either "on the hard drive" (on the computer itself) or "to the cloud" (online; on the Internet).

Because deleting files is "insufficient" (not enough), many people "turn to" (decide to use) "physical methods" (ways of doing things that involve real-life movements and actions, not just on a computer screen), such as "pattern writing" (writing digital "patterns" (repeating series) over the sections of memory where data was stored), "magnetic wiping" (moving a magnet back and forth over the surface of a piece of electronics), "abrasion" (scratching the surface of something), and "incineration" (burning something in a hot fire).

Some less "tech-savvy" (very familiar with technology and understanding it well) people might try other methods, such as driving over a hard drive with a car, hitting it many times with a "hammer" (a tool used to put nails into a surface) or "screwdriver" (a tool used to put screws into a surface), or "submerging it" (putting something into a liquid so that it is surrounded) in water. However, these methods are often not recommended and does not destroy information completely.